Reducing flood risks in Abingdon

Reducing flood risks
The window of the Community Free Space in Bury Street currently has a display on ‘Reducing flood risks in Abingdon.‘ There were also experts there yesterday to listen and answer people’s questions.

Some of  the information on the display boards can be read at https://www.oxfordshirefloodtoolkit.com/contacts/abingdon-flood-alleviation-scheme/, but the information boards have more detail.

Work continues towards a flood storage area at Abingdon Common, and talks with landowners has begun. A provisional estimate for the scheme is £5m. Timescales are:

  • March 2018 to March 2019 – Development of the flood storage area design and modelling. Continue to investigate complementary options.
  • Spring 2019 – Planning application submission
  • End 2019 – Full Business Case approval
  • 2020 – Estimated construction start date subject to approvals 

10 thoughts on “Reducing flood risks in Abingdon

  1. Iain

    Apologies for off topic post. The Town Council and The Regal Cinema have just posted an announcement on the Town website that they are close to an agreement to reopen the Abbey Hall this summer as a Cinema and Live Events venue.

    Their full statement is on the attached link:
    http://www.abingdon.gov.uk/abingdon-news/abingdon-thames-town-council/plans-cinema-abbey-hall

    I have been generally critical of the Town Council on their handling of the Guildhall project, but I warmly welcome this decision (technically still a recommendation at this point).

    Well done to everyone who turned up to the two public meetings and who supported the various petitions on this topic. Whilst there are still further issues to be resolved this is a positive step in the right direction.

    Good luck to Sue and Ian Wiper with the new venture at the Abbey Hall, I am sure it will be welcomed by the townspeople and very successful.

    Reply
  2. Janet

    The friends of Abingdon are up in arms that the Town Council want to open a cinema after they had brought about a cinema in the Unicorn Theatre.They are asking people to sign a petition against the proposals.

    Reply
  3. Hester

    Janet
    This is completely untrue – the Friends of Abingdon have supported the Regal’s proposal from the start and are delighted that it looks to be going to succeed. The long-term aim is to have a purpose-built cinema in Abingdon; we were happy for the Unicorn to be used as the first step towards that and look forward to the next stage when there will be two screens, albeit a few hundred yards apart.
    I can only think that the petition you refer to is the one that has been running for several months in support of the Regal proposals!

    Reply
  4. Iain

    What are you talking about Janet – your post is a load of garbage. Hopefully most readers of this blog are wise enough to recognise this as ill-informed twaddle.

    Reply
  5. GRJ

    Whatever the rights and wrongs are regarding the preceding argument it does seem that the Council have done nothing with the Abbey Hall for years and it has taken a proactive company with a bit of vision to bale them out. No wonder they are welcomed by the Council. Pity Sue and Ian can’t be voted on, or at least be allowed to run the site for the foreseeable future to prevent the Council getting their hands back on it.

    Reply
  6. Daniel

    Perhaps we could ask Sue and Ian if they could sort the traffic? And also the retail offer? Maybe phase two of the Charter development? Could they also try and sort the parking?

    They seem like results driven people…help us Ian and Sue….

    Reply
  7. Deedee

    It’s good that al last the Guild Hall will have some use and that we have a cinema, but it saddens me to ask why the movers and shakers of the town why they haven’t/ do not, spend as much time on more pressing issues?
    Tonight at 7pm the multi story car park will close and not reopen until Tuesday morning, how stupid is that when all the open air car parks are now full of an ever increasing amount of town residents who live in properties with no parking, our evening and weekend trade is being hammered!
    Yesterday I drove along the completely empty brand new £10 million link road OCC funded in Didcot, by contrast it’s just taken me 35 mins to drive up Ock St! The towns traffic system is a failiure and needs addressing, why aren’t councillors spending time sorting that issue instead of a cinema? The roads are pot holed everywhere, the paving a trip waiting to happen, roadside parking is out of control ( mind you in most cases the yellow lines are worn away)
    Please will someone, somewhere get hold of our town and sort it out? Or if no one has the mind too then please step aside for people who will!

    Reply
  8. Dave

    The organisers may be interested to note that the Ock Valley path is at this moment flooded at the Tesco end. I am fairly sure that the residents of the Thythe farm estate more than hope that they see more action and less meetings to solve the flood threat in the area.(Monday, 2nd April 1.30.)

    Reply

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